Speak. Write. Educate. Make a statement in your life. Make your life a statement.
Disclaimer: Views and articles posted on this website are those of their authors and do not necessarily represent the views of CAIR or blog owner.

About Me

Hussam has been a lifelong human rights activist who is passionate about promoting democratic societies, in the US and worldwide, in which all people, including immigrants, workers, minorities, and the poor enjoy freedom, justice, economic justice, respect, and equality. Mr. Ayloush frequently lectures on Islam, media relations, civil rights, hate crimes and international affairs. He has consistently appeared in local, national, and international media.
Full biography at:
http://hussamayloush.blogspot.com/2006/08/biography-of-hussam-ayloush.html

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Abusing in the name of religion and the silent witnesses

The news of a bigot spewing hatred is unfortunately not unusual anymore. But when such a bigot uses a religious platform to express such hatred, it is hard not to be disturbed.

At the second annual "Christians United For Israel" conference, held at the Marriott Wardman hotel in Washington, D.C., on the 16th through the 18th of July 2007, a vitriolic Islamophobe called Brigitte Gabriel said:

"The difference, my friends, between Israel and the Arab world is the difference between civilization and barbarism. It's the difference between good and evil [applause].... this is what we're witnessing in the Arabic world, They have no soul!, they are dead set on killing and destruction. And in the name of something they call "Allah" which is very different from the God we believe. . .[applause] because our God is the God of love."

Additionally, Bruce Wilson reported on the 'Talk to Action' website that almost at the same time Brigitte Gabriel was demonizing Muslims, "two Jewish journalists were being evicted from the conference, for interviewing conference goers about their apocalyptic religious beliefs and confronting the conference leader about writing of his that blamed Jews themselves for the Holocaust."

Of course, if such bigotry was occurring at a neo-Nazi or KKK conference, one would not bother to complain. However, the sad part is that this conference claimed to be a "Christian" conference and the organizers insisted on labeling themselves as "Christian". As someone who studied at a Christian school and have many Christian friends and relatives, I know that Christianity, like Islam, Judaism and all religions, does not allow for such abhorrence.

The story does not end here. It turned out that U.S. Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman were among the participants at the conference. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they did not know that Gabriel was planning to utter such venomous words. But now that they know, how come they have not distanced themselves from it?